Battery terminal, battery cover plate assembly, battery and battery pack

Abstract

A battery terminal includes an outer terminal segment, the outer terminal segment being made of a first conductive material; an inner terminal segment being made of a second conductive material different from the first conductive material and having an upper end connected to a lower end of the outer terminal segment forming a connection portion between the upper end of the inner terminal segment and the lower end of the outer terminal segment, and a protection member around the connection portion. With the battery terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention into batteries, adjacent batteries can be connected together more reliably.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A battery terminal, comprising:
 an outer terminal segment made of a first conductive material;   an inner terminal segment made of a second conductive material different from the first conductive material and having an upper end connected to a lower end of the outer terminal segment so as to form a connection portion between the upper end of the inner terminal segment and the lower end of the outer terminal segment; and   a protection member around the connection portion.   
     
     
         2 . The battery terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the protection member is in the form of a protection layer formed by injection molding, spraying or electroplating. 
     
     
         3 . The battery terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the protection member is made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of: perfluoro (alkoxy alkane) resin, polypropylene, polyphenylene sulfide, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride and polyphenyl ether. 
     
     
         4 . The battery terminal of  claim 3 , wherein the protection member is made of polypropylene, polyphenylene sulfide, or polyphenyl ether. 
     
     
         5 . The battery terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the outer terminal segment and the inner terminal segment are connected via welding or a tenon-mortise connection. 
     
     
         6 . The battery terminal of  claim 1 , wherein one of the outer terminal segment and the inner terminal segment is made of aluminum, and the other of the outer terminal segment and the inner terminal segment is made of copper. 
     
     
         7 . The battery terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the outer terminal segment comprises a connection boss on an upper end thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The battery terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the battery terminal has a circular cross-section. 
     
     
         9 . A battery cover plate assembly, comprising:
 a battery terminal, which comprises:
 an outer terminal segment made of a first conductive material; 
 an inner terminal segment made of a second conductive material different from the first conductive material and having an upper end connected to a lower end of the outer terminal segment forming a connection portion between the upper end of the inner terminal segment and the lower end of the outer terminal segment; and 
 a protection member around the connection portion; 
   a cover plate fitted over the battery terminal; and   an insulating member disposed between the cover plate and the battery terminal.   
     
     
         10 . The battery cover plate assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the connection portion between the inner terminal segment and the outer terminal segment is located above upper surfaces of the cover plate and the insulating member. 
     
     
         11 . The battery cover plate assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the cover plate, the insulating member and the battery terminal are assembled together via injection molding. 
     
     
         12 . The battery cover plate assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the inner terminal segment comprises a flange on a lower end thereof,
 wherein the cover plate comprises a first sleeve part and a first flange part formed on a lower end of the first sleeve part,   wherein the insulating member comprises a second sleeve part fitted over the battery terminal and a second flange part disposed between the flange and the first flange part, and the first sleeve part is fitted over the second sleeve part.   
     
     
         13 . The battery cover plate assembly of  claim 12 , wherein a radial dimension of the first flange part is larger than those of the second flange part and the flange, and a radial dimension of the second flange part is larger than that of the flange. 
     
     
         14 . The battery cover plate assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the second sleeve part is fitted over the inner terminal segment, and the upper end of the inner terminal segment is extended out of an upper end of the second sleeve part by a predetermined length. 
     
     
         15 . The battery cover plate assembly of  claim 14 , wherein a circumferential groove is formed in an external wall of the inner terminal segment, and a portion of the second sleeve part is fitted within the circumferential groove. 
     
     
         16 . The battery cover plate assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the insulating member further comprises a third sleeve part fitted over the first sleeve part, an upper end of the third sleeve part is connected with an upper end of the second sleeve part so as to substantially seal upper ends of gaps formed between the first and second sleeve parts and between the first and third sleeve parts. 
     
     
         17 . A battery, comprising:
 a shell;   a battery core accommodated in the shell; and   a battery cover plate assembly disposed on the shell to substantially seal the shell, wherein the battery cover plate comprises:
 a battery terminal, which comprises:
 an outer terminal segment made of a first conductive material; 
 an inner terminal segment made of a second conductive material different from the first conductive material and being connected to the outer terminal segment forming a connection portion between the inner terminal segment and the outer terminal segment; and 
 a protection member around the connection portion; 
 
 a cover plate fitted over the battery terminal; and 
 an insulating member disposed between the cover plate and the battery terminal. 
   
     
     
         18 . A battery pack, comprising:
 a plurality of batteries, each of the plurality of batteries comprising first and second battery terminals having opposite polarities, wherein one of the first and second battery terminals is the battery terminal according to  claim 1 , and the other of the first and second battery terminals is made of the first conductive material; and   a battery connector made of the first conductive material, and having a first end connected with the first battery terminal of a first battery of adjacent batteries and a second end connected with the second battery terminal of a second battery of the adjacent batteries.   
     
     
         19 . The battery pack of  claim 18 , wherein the battery connector is connected with the first and second battery terminals via a riveting, a threaded connection or welding.